Greek Language
Ancient Greece
Rome Conquered Greece, and Then Greece ‘Conquered’ Rome
"Greece, conquered Greece, her conqueror subdued, And Rome grew polished, who till then was rude."
Horace, the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus.
In 146 BC, Greece yielded to the military might of the Roman Republic; sixty years...
Archaeology
The Unique Eccentricities of the Modern Greek Language
The Greek language hosts an incredibly diverse and rich linguistic history, with its roots stretching back thousands of years.
As one of the world's oldest languages still spoken, Greek has evolved over the centuries quite significantly. However, Modern Greek grammar...
Ancient Greece
Seven English Expressions You Didn’t Know Were Greek
Have you ever wondered about the origins of many common English phrases like "Achilles' heel" or "Pandora's box?" Many of these expressions that are used quite often in English have deep roots in the rich language, culture, and mythology...
Culture
Dionysios Solomos: The Greek Poet of Liberty
Dionysios Solomos, born on the island of Zakynthos in 1798, is rightly regarded as the National Poet of Greece for writing "Imnos eis tin Eleftherían," ("Hymn to Liberty"), the first two stanzas of which became the national anthem of...
Archaeology
Today’s Greeks Are Like Those of 2,000 BC, DNA Study Shows
An anthropological DNA research project which sequenced the genes of ancient populations found that modern Greeks are genetically similar.
Ancient Greece
‘Romeyka’ The Ancient Greek Dialect Spoken in Northern Turkey
Romeyka is a dialect of Greek spoken in the region of Trabzon (Trapezounta) and Pontus, around Turkey's Black Sea coast. Researchers say it bears striking resemblances to ancient Greek dialects.
Its speakers are Muslims but many also trace their lineage...
Ancient Greece
The Mystery of Linear B, Greece’s Enigmatic Script
Linear B, the enigmatic script of ancient Greece used by the Mycenaean civilization, has long captivated the minds of experts and enthusiasts alike.
For decades, historians, linguists, and archaeologists have been debating over this fascinating writing system that dominated the...
Ancient Greece
Middle Greek: The Language That Shaped Modern Greek
Middle Greek, also known as Medieval Greek, is the phase of the Greek language that bridges the Classical with the Modern Greek variety spoken today.
Middle Greek flourished and developed during the Eastern Roman Empire from the fourth to the...
Ancient Greece
The Lost Letters of the Greek Alphabet
The Greek alphabet has changed in many ways over the course of its existence. This is hardly surprising, given that the Greeks have been using it for nearly three millennia. One way in which it has changed is that...
Culture
The American Author Who Fell in Love With the Greek Language
Mary Norris is an American author who learned the Greek language during her twenty-four-year career at the famous ''New Yorker'' magazine.